San Francisco's other municipal treat: Presidio Golf Course

SAN FRANCISCO -- Most golfers know about TPC Harding Park, a historic San Francisco municipal that has hosted the WGC-American Express Championship, the Presidents Cup and the Champions Tour's Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Lost in the shadows -- at least outside of San Francisco -- might be Presidio Golf Course, an older city venue run by the military for most of its existence and now part of a national park.

First established in 1895, the course was originally crafted by architect Robert Wood Johnstone. It was expanded by Johnstone in collaboration with William McEwan in 1910, and then redesigned and lengthened by the British firm of Fowler & Simpson in 1921. The golf course opened to the public in 1995.

At 6,422 yards, Presidio is short by today's standards, but because of elevation changes, especially uphill, the holes can play longer than their advertised yardages.

The golf course, its old clubhouse and new clubhouse all sit on what used to be a military reservation that dates back to 1776, when it was a Spanish post. It had to be rebuilt after an earthquake in 1812 and became a U.S. Army post in 1846 before it was closed in 1994 and established as a national park and San Francisco treat.

Mike Bailey is a senior staff writer based in the Houston area. Focusing primarily on golf in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America, he contributes course reviews, travel stories and features as well as the occasional equipment review. An award-winning writer and past president of Texas Golf Writers Association, he has more than 20 years in the golf industry. Before accepting his current position in 2008, he was on staff at PGA Magazine, The Golfweek Group and AvidGolfer Magazine. Follow Mike on Twitter at @Accidentlgolfer.